We were lucky to catch up with Britney Chappell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Britney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I’ve always been drawn to the arts, from singing Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” from my car seat to memorizing lines from my favorite movies as a kid. I often had to play by myself as a child so I learned to use my imagination early on. It was always fun for me, I was my own entertainment. Acting was my childhood dream, it was my response when adults asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. But no one in my family had a career in the arts so at the time I didn’t have the support I needed to believe that it could happen. I went to school for Mass Media Arts and thought that it would be more realistic for me to have a behind the scenes role rather than in front of the camera. I let fear take over and lost sight of what I truly wanted to do but never lost my passion for acting. In 2017 I started taking acting classes and slowly regained my confidence. One day I just realized I’ll never know what can happen unless I try. I gave myself permission to dream again and really it’s been up from there. I’ve had the pleasure of being in several independent projects, started making content of my own and I got signed with an agency this year.
Britney, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got my start in the industry by networking. I joined a Meet Up group for creatives and met a writer who cast me in my first lead role. From there I began attending industry mixers and building relationships with other actors in my class. I’ve been blessed to meet so many amazing creatives and it’s beautiful when we put our talents together to make art. This year I had a monumental moment by having a comedy pilot showcased at an event where I was a lead. That project will hopefully be coming to a streaming platform soon. Ultimately, I am most proud of getting past my fears and going after my dream. I want to encourage people to do the same, you really never know unless you try. Through my art I want to make people feel/laugh/connect and I look forward to doing that throughout my career.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Throughout my journey I’ve had to learn to believe in myself more than the doubts people may place on me. My earliest memory of this was in 6th grade band where I played the trombone but wanted to learn to play the flute. My band teacher, who was a flutist, told me that she didn’t think I would be successful at playing the flute because the way my lips were shaped. That summer, I was gifted a flute that my aunt used to play, my dad refurbished it and put me lessons. The next school year, I switched schools and made first chair flute in my band class. I continued to play both instruments through high school. I’ve always taken this lesson with me, it reminds me that the only limitations I have are the ones I place on myself.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Where I’m at in life, I only take opportunities that are aligned with what me achieving my goal of being a full time working actress. After I graduated college I did a few internships in the film/tv industry but it didn’t lead to any paying jobs. I felt discouraged, questioned if I had a future in the industry and looked for a job that I felt offered me more security. I ended up working in corporate America for seven years, worked my way up to making a good salary but I was not fulfilled. I was stressed, burnt out from my workload, mentally drained and becoming a shell of myself. I sought therapy to help me cope and that helped me put things into a new perspective. I was working so hard, putting so much energy into something I didn’t see myself doing for the rest of my life. I realized that life is short and I needed to put my all into the things I wanted. I decided to take my leap of faith and put myself into position to achieve my dream. I left my corporate job and I now work at an equipment rental house that works directly with Tyler Perry Studios. Although I took a pay cut, I’m learning another aspect of the industry and making connections will benefit me in my journey. To me, that’s worth more than money.
Contact Info:
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